I Once Knew
by RegalBunny5
Summary: Swan Queen/Regal Believer. Emma is reunited with her lost love, Regina, but Regina has completely lost her memory. Due to the trauma in Regina's past she is highly fearful of everyone. It is up to Henry and Emma to help her remember the past and regain her trust.
1. Chapter 1

"Hello, Miss Swan. This is the Storybrook Hospital, and I am calling in regards to Regina Mills." Emma froze as she heard Regina's name, causing the glass of water in her hands to crash to the floor. Emma hardly noticed as the glass shattered into thousands of pieces.

Emma hadn't heard that name in ten years. She felt her whole world come to a stop as she stood there in shock, not quite sure what to do next.

"Is she alright?" Emma asked, still in a haze as she tried to comprehend what was going on.

"She has gotten into a severe car accident about three weeks ago. We tried her mother and her father's phone numbers but neither of them answered. She is mostly healed physically and but mentally she isn't doing well. She has completely lost all memory. She remembers how to do basic things but as far as personal memories go she can't remember. She only remembers her name because we told her what it was." The nurse explained as Emma held onto every word she spoke.

"Why are you telling me this? Isn't there anyone else in her life? I haven't even seen the woman in ten years." Emma asked in concern. She still felt guilty for leaving Regina even after all these years.

"I'm sorry but she had no one else listed. I am telling you this because she is ready to be released but she still needs someone to care for her." Emma filled with happiness at the thought of getting to see Regina again but suddenly realized that Regina wouldn't even remember her. She closed her eyes as she decided what she was going to do. It only took her a few seconds to decide.

"When should I pick her up?" Emma asked as she took a deep breath.

"You may pick her up tomorrow between the hours of nine to five." The nurse told her as Henry walked into the room.

"Okay, thank you. Goodbye." Emma said as she gave a slight smile to Henry.

"Have a nice day Miss Swan. Goodbye." The nurse said as Henry walked up to Emma. Emma quickly hung up the phone and placed all of her attention on her son in an attempt to not think of Regina.

"Who was that?" Henry asked her as he sat down on the couch.

"That was the hospital. They were calling about an old… friend of mine. She has lost all her memory and needs someone to take care of her. How would you feel about having a guest for a while?" Emma asked him with a hopeful smile.

"Yeah, that would be fun!" Henry excitedly exclaimed.

It had been just the two of them ever since Henry's father, Neal, had passed away when Henry was two. Henry had been born one year after Emma left Regina. Regina had been Emma's one true love but Emma's parents weren't thrilled about it. They didn't like that Regina came from a troubled background and they didn't want that influence around their daughter. Regina never talked about her troubled past to anyone, not even Emma.

Emma had always regretted her decision to leave Regina. The only good thing that had come out of it was Henry. Emma never forgot about Regina and she had thought about going back to her many times of the past few years.

"I'm Emma Swan. I'm here to pick up Regina Mills." Emma told the lady at the front desk as she nervously bit her lip.

"Thank you, Miss Swan. The doctor would like to meet with you before she is released. You may have a seat in the lobby while you wait if you'd like." The lady told her with a smile. Emma gave a slight smile back but could feel the nerves inside her swell as she thought of her lost love.

She walked to a seat across the room as she anxiously waited for the doctor. She took a moment to try to calm herself down but was interrupted as the doctor entered the room. They greeted each other before heading back to his office.

"Miss Swan, there are some things I feel you should know before you see Regina. Do you know if she had any trauma from her past?" The doctor asked her in a professional manner.

"Well, she told me she had a troubled past but would never go into details. Why is this important?" Emma asked as she adjusted herself in her seat.

"She is in a very fragile state. She is terrified of everyone and doesn't trust anyone. This is most likely due to the trauma in her past. We are not completely sure if she remembers anything due to the fact that she won't tell us. So if she tells you anything we would like for you to tell us so we can monitor her memory loss." The doctor told her as she nervously played with the sleeve of her long-sleeve shirt.

"I can do that. Is there anything specific I should do to avoid scaring her?" Emma asked him.

"Be gentle and don't raise your voice. I would advise no physical contact. She becomes very fearfully at even the slightest touch. Any other questions?" The doctor asked as he leaned forward.

"No. Thank you Dr. Whale." Emma told him as they stood up to go see Regina.  
_

As they arrived outside the door to Regina's room Emma took a deep breath and tried to stop her hand from trembling before she stepped inside Regina's room.

Emma gasped as she looked at her former love. She looked absolutely stunning, even in a hospital gown. Her eyes widened in complete fear as she saw Emma causing Emma to feel the need to protect her from anything and everything. She looked completely helpless as she scrunched up with her arms around her legs, visibly trembling as she stared at Emma. Emma felt a pang of sadness as she saw no sign that Regina remembered her. She knew this from the beginning but knowing it and experiencing it are two very different things. She could feel the tears gather in her eyes but refused to let them fall.

Upon seeing how fearful Regina was Emma decided not to walk any further. She took in how gorgeous the brunette looked as she stared in awe. She stood in total silence before she finally spoke up.

"Hello, Regina. I'm Emma, and I'm going to be taking care of you for the next few months." Emma softly told her as she did her best not to startle her. She could hear her heart pounding excitedly in her chest as she waited to hear the voice she had once loved so much.

"How- how do you know my name?" Regina asked as her trembling intensified. She tried to move back towards the wall in an attempt to put distance between herself and Emma.

"We used to be good… friends." Emma told her, trying not to overwhelm her with the truth.

Emma tried to take a step forward but immediately stopped when she saw Regina flinch. "It's okay; I'm not going to hurt you." Emma told her, trying to keep her voice from breaking as she did. She hated seeing Regina like this. The Regina she knew was fun-loving and sweet not fearful and distant. Emma could feel the tears return to her eyes. She had never realized how badly Regina was affected by her past.

 _She had never shown any signs of fear before. Or maybe she was just better at covering them up._

Regina just stared at Emma as she moved closer. She waited for Emma to give her any signs of danger but found none.

"Where will I be staying?" Regina asked as she wrapped her arms tighter around herself.

"You will be staying at my house with my son and me." Emma told her as she slowly took a seat in a chair next to Regina's hospital bed.

Emma watched with curiosity as Regina's expression softened.

Regina looked down for a moment before responding. "When do we leave?"

"Whenever you want." Emma told her with a soft smile.  
_

The car ride home was dead silent with Regina watching Emma's every move and Emma uncomfortably shifting under Regina's gaze. They were almost to Emma's house before Regina finally spoke up.

"What is his name?" Regina quietly asked from the passenger's seat.

"Who's name?" Emma asked with a confused expression. She had no clue who Regina could possibly be talking about.

"Your son." Regina simply answered. She had been thinking about him for a majority of the drive home.

"His name is Henry." Emma told her as she hid her smile. Regina had always had a soft spot for children. It gave Emma a sign that the Regina she knew was still there.

They arrived in front of Emma's house and got out of the car. Regina chose to walk behind Emma as they approached the front door.

"So this is where you will be staying until your memory returns." Emma told her as she motioned to her house. "If you follow me I will show you the room you will be staying in." Emma told her as she headed towards the bedroom. Regina offered a small nod in response.

As Regina entered the room she scanned the room.

"So I'll leave you to get settled and I have to go pick up some clothes for you. I'll be back in about twenty minutes so if you need anything you can ask Henry. His room is the second door on the right." Emma told her with a slight smile.  
_

Henry walked up to his mom as she was getting ready to leave.

"Oh, Henry! I have to go pick up some clothes for my friend Regina. She is in the guest bedroom so please don't disturb her." Emma told him with a stern look.

"Okay, I won't." Henry told her as she grabbed her keys and purse.

Emma gave him another stern look as she responded. "Henry, I'm serious. Don't bother her while I'm gone."

"I know!" Henry told her as she smiled back at him.

"Okay, I'll be home in twenty minutes so be good! Bye!" She told him as she headed out to door.

"Okay, bye!" He shouted as she left.

The second the door closed Henry took off running full speed to the guest bedroom. He stopped as he approached the door. It was cracked open and Henry peaked in to find a mysterious woman looking at a picture on the wall. As he leaned in closer the door creaked open causing the brunette to spin around in shock.

"Hi, I'm Henry. Your friends with my mom." He told her with a wide smile. He took a step closer as her eyes widen in fear. She studied him for a moment before relaxing a little. "What's your name?"

Regina looked at the floor a moment before replying to the young boy. "I'm Regina." She told him as she nervously looked back up at him.

"That's a cool name." Henry said causing her to slightly smile. She took a step closer to him as he smiled back at her. She felt comfortable around him. They seemed to have a natural connection.

"Do you want to come with me to my room?" Henry excitedly asked her while jumping up and down causing her to startle before she calmed down enough to look back at him.

"I'd love to Henry." Regina told him as he grabbed her hand. She jumped back in fear as he touched her but a part of her wanted to be near him. "Sorry, I just…" Regina trailed off, unable to finish her sentence.

"That's okay." Henry told her with a smile as he held his hand out gentler this time and decided to let her hold his hand. Regina looked at his hand in fear for a moment before realizing he wasn't going to hurt her. She hesitantly moved her hand closer before lightly putting her hand around his. He looked back up at her and smiled brightly causing her to smile real smile for the first time in months.

He slowly guided her out of the guest room and down the hall to Henry's room. Henry sensed that she was a bit fearful so he looked back to check on her frequently as they walked down the hallway. If she looked too fearful he would stop and wait for her to get comfortable.

They finally made it to Henry's room after about five minutes even though it usually took less than a minute. Henry watched her as she studied his room. She looked at all the little details as she gazed around the room.

"You have a lovely room." Regina quietly told him as she monitored his reaction. She was pleased with his gave her a smile in return.

"Thanks!" He excitedly shouted.

Henry continued to watch her or the next several minutes as she observed different things in his room. She seemed to like the drawings in his room the most.

Henry finally broke the silence after a few minutes. "My mom said you lost your memory. So you don't remember anything?" Henry asked as he tilted his head in curiosity.

Regina looked at him for a second before quickly looking down to the floor. "I remember some things." Regina softly whispered.

"Like what?" Henry asked as he took a seat on the bed.

Regina looked at him for moment before replying. She tried to decide the best way to describe what she remembered without scaring him. She took a seat on the bed next to him before replying. "I remember my mother." She told him as she sadly looked down, something that didn't go unnoticed by Henry.

"Were they good memories?" Henry asked as he sadly watched her.

Regina swallowed the lump in her throat before replying. "No." She managed to say without crying.

"Is that why you're so scared?" Henry innocently asked her.

She closed her eyes as she tried to prevent herself from crying. She tried to speak but nothing came out as she choked back her tears. She shut her eyes tighter as she tried to push her tears away but as she was about to respond something amazing happened.

Henry wrapped his arms around her causing her to tremble in fear but in only made Henry hold her tighter. She took a shaky hand and slowly placed it around Henry. She finally relaxed as she enjoyed her first hug since the car accident. She smiled as she fully embraced the love of the child. She was no longer fearful of him.

"I'll protect you." He whispered into her ear causing the tears to fall delicately down Regina's face.

 **A/N: Hope you liked this story! Please tell me what you think and if I should continue!**


	2. Chapter 2

Emma promptly closed the door behind her as she entered the house. Setting her purse on the counter, she let out a sigh, content to be back home. The blonde gave a small smile as she anticipated seeing her lost love again. Picking up the bags with new clothes, she headed to the guest bedroom.

She softly knocked on the door before quietly opening it. "Hey, Regina, I-" Her voice froze upon laying eyes on the empty room. "Regina!" She shouted as she dropped the bags of clothes on the floor. The blonde began looking around the house for Regina when she heard Henry's laughter coming from his room.

She was about to speak when she looked through the slightly cracked opened door. Her jaw dropped at the sight. Sitting on the bed were Henry and Regina sitting side by side, both with smiles on their faces.

Taking a closer look she could now see that Henry's was holding his IPad.

"What is it called again?" Regina curiously asked him as she stared at the screen in confusion.

Henry laughed as he watched her try to figure it out. "It's called Snapchat." Telling her for what felt like the thousandth time. He touched the screen and soon after the different filters came up. He tapped on the one that give you dog ears and sticks its tongue out when you open your mouth.

Emma tried to conceal her laughter as Regina slightly jumped every time the tongue came on the screen. Her heart ached; this could have been her family for the past ten years. She had managed to convince herself that Regina was fine without her, and everything she had seen in the past few hours proved the exact opposite.

"Why does it do that?" Regina asked, jumping at the tongue once again.

"It's called a filter, and it's just for fun." Henry explained.

Regina furrowed her eyebrows adorably, in Emma's eyes at least. "It's not very fun." She said in a serious tone, causing both Henry and Emma to laugh.

Emma softly knocked on the door to try to avoid startling Regina, but she still jumped from her seat on Henry's bed. "Hey, I'm home." She told them a bit shyly, something that was out of character for Emma. The only times she had ever acted shy in her life was when she was near Regina.

"I got your clothes." Emma said with a smile as she looked to Regina. The brunette tensed up, the fear returning to her eyes. She gave a slight nod to Emma before looking down quickly. Emma's smile disappeared as she watched Regina's reaction. Tears pricked her eyes as Regina fearfully looked up at her, trembling slightly.  
_

Everyone went to bed shortly after Emma got home. Both Henry and Regina fell asleep within minutes. Regina rarely slept in the hospital, and this was the first time she had felt at least somewhat safe since the accident.

Emma lay awake in tears.

 _I should've never left her._ The tears rolled down her cheeks as she desperately tried to catch her breath.

 _She didn't even have one person who cared enough to check on her once, just one time at the hospital._ Regret filled her soul, in the ten years they had been apart Emma had never felt regret this intensely. Every other time she felt regret, she had convinced herself Regina was happily living with her new family. She could no longer ignore the truth. _I should have known after_ _ **that**_ _day._

Her eyes drifted closed as memories of the past filled her mind. Her mind drifted back to the most frightening day of her life. A day she had blocked from her memory until now.

 _"Regina?" Emma called out to the surprisingly empty house. Emma had decided to come over to Regina's house to surprise her but couldn't find her anywhere._

 _Emma stepped further into the house, it was eerily quiet. Glancing around she saw no signs of her girlfriend. "Regina?" She called out once again._

 _She peeked into two of the rooms and found both to be empty. She looked at the last door in the hallway to find a whip hanging on the door handle. Emma cautiously took a step forward and crack the door open. Her eyes widened._

 _Regina sat in tears on the bedroom floor, leaning against the wall for support. Sweat covered her face causing loose hair from her braid to stick to her face. Chocolate eyes flickered closed every so often. Her shirt soaked in blood as she tried to gently lift it so she could bandage the wound. She was unable to do so without causing more pain._

 _Emma was frozen in shock; it was the most blood she had ever seen. The brunette looked like she was on the edge of death._

 _Regina screamed out in pain as her finger slipped causing her to lightly brush the wound. Her scream quickly unfroze Emma from her spot by the doorway._

 _"Regina?" Emma softly questioned as she took a step in the room. The brunette looked at Emma in shock. She quickly looked away to hide her tears. She wiped them away out of sight from Emma._

 _"What…" Regina trailed off as a whimper of pain escaped her lips. Emma's heart dropped at the sound of Regina's cries. The blonde dropped to her knees beside Regina._

 _As Regina regained her voice she finished her sentence. "What are you doing here?" She quietly asked in a raspy voice, shifting to face Emma. It appeared by the sound of her voice she hadn't had anything to drink in hours._

 _"I stopped by to see you." She blankly told her, feeling like she was in a nightmare she couldn't escape from. Emma reached behind Regina to gently place a comforting hand on her back but the second she touched Regina's back she let out a scream. Regina's screams pierced Emma's heart. She looked at Regina's back to find it too was soaked in blood._

 _"I'm so sorry… I didn't mean to I just… I'm so sorry… Can I do something to help?" Emma frantically apologized. Tears gathered in her eyes, she never wanted to be one of the many people who had hurt Regina. She pushed her tears back, trying to remain brave for Regina._

 _Regina desperately tried to respond but her words came out in grunts as the pain ripped through her. Exhaustion washed over her as she closed her eyes. The pain on top of her exhaustion made it nearly impossible to support her body weight. She tried yet again to respond but it came out a whimper._

 _Regina let out another whimper as she collapsed in Emma's arms, causing Emma to gasp. Regina rested her head under Emma's chin. The blonde slowly wrapped her arms around Regina, aiming higher this time to avoid her wounds. Emma closed her eyes and held the sweat soaked girl tightly. She wasn't entirely sure if she was doing this to comfort Regina or herself._

 _As much as Regina hated to show weakness to anyone, Emma was her safety. "Regina, we need to get these bandaged." Emma softly told her as she stared down at the blood soaked floor. "How long have you been sitting here?"_

 _Emma got no response from Regina. Green eyes looked down to find Regina was passed out. Emma gently set her down on the floor to the bedroom before she ran to the bathroom. She quickly washed her hands before racing back to her spot next to Regina._

 _After checking that Regina was at least somewhat okay, she ran to Regina's closet for a pair of pajamas to soak up the blood. Emma soon found what she was looking for and ran back to Regina._

 _Emma took a deep breath as she prepared to take Regina's shirt off. She reached out to grab the bottom of Regina's shirt. It was the first time Emma noticed just how much she was shaking. "She's going to be fine, everything is fine." Emma told herself, although looking at Regina's pale face wasn't making it any easier to believe herself._

 _Gently, she lifted the end of Regina's shirt. The room echoed with the soft cries of the young girl._

 _"Emma..." Regina mumbled out as her eyes briefly flickered open._

 _"Regina I have to at least try to stop the bleeding, just lay there and hold still." Emma softly told her, never looking in Regina's eyes. She knew if she did she wouldn't be able to hold back her tears._

 _She tried again to lift the young girl's shirt but ended with the same results._

 _"Emma… stop." Regina whispered in pain. She clenched her teeth together. "It… hurts…" Regina mumbled as a tear fell from one eye to the ground beneath. Regina reached out to hold Emma's hand._

 _Emma looked to Regina's hand holding hers, bottom lip trembling as she bit back her tears. She wanted so badly to remain strong for Regina._

 _"Okay, I… I'm going to call an ambulance… and we'll get you to the hospital." Emma shakily responded as she stormed out of the room. She walked out of the room without a second glance as she reached into her back pocket for her phone. Quickly, she dialed 911 and proceeded to tell them the situation._

 _Back in the bedroom Regina stared out the doorway waiting for Emma to return. Her eyes desperately searched for any signs of the blonde, a sign that she wasn't going through this alone again. She wanted someone, anyone to be with her, but she needed Emma._

 _Emma stood in the hallway long after the call ended. She wasn't ready to walk back into the bedroom and see the love of her life lying on the floor looking as if she was dying. "I can't lose her." Emma whispered to herself, tears violently falling down her face as she did. Walking back to the bathroom she tried to take steady breaths. Once she arrived in the bathroom, she quickly grabbed a tissue and began wiping away her tears. As she walked back into the hallway on her way back to Regina she heard a faint voice._

 _As she got closer she could hear the voice more clearly. "Emma…" Upon hearing Regina's voice, she quickened her pace and raced to Regina's side._

 _"It's okay, I'm here now." Emma softly told her as she placed Regina's head in her lap. Regina tried to adjust to face Emma but resulted in more pain. Regina cried out as the waves of pain came through. Emma winced each time Regina cried out. "Do you want an ice pack?" Emma asked her with a trembling voice filled with fear. Regina nodded her head back and forth, not wanting Emma to leave her again._

 _"I don't know what to do." Emma told Regina, her voice breaking as she did. She looked down to Regina, who looked to be in agony._

 _"Just… just stay… with me…" Regina whispered, resting her head on Emma's leg. Emma broke down in tears at Regina's soft-spoken words._

 _Emma smiled through the tears as she responded. "I can do that." She gently ran her fingers through Regina's hair and tucked the loose hair behind Regina's ears. They lay like that until help finally arrived. Once in the ambulance, Regina refused to let go of Emma's hand for even a second._

A scream from the guest bedroom interrupted the memory. Emma quickly wiped away fresh tears as she ran to the guest bedroom, meeting Henry outside the door.

They both give each other a slight nod as they open the door to Regina's room. Emma immediately rushed to Regina's side upon seeing her curled up with her knees to her chest, trembling. For a moment Emma had forgotten about Regina's memory loss and her fear. The blonde wrapped her arms around Regina only to frighten Regina more. Regina trembled more and refused to speak as Emma looked at her in sadness. Pain filled Emma's heart as she came back to the present.

"Regina, are you okay?" Henry asked, Emma was into much of a haze to ask at this point. Still, Regina remained silent.

Emma took a moment to truly look at Regina and found that she was drenched in sweat. Not explaining to Henry where she was going, ran into the kitchen for a cool washcloth.

Henry decided to try talking to her once again. "Regina?" He whispered as he sat at the foot of her bed.

"I-I'm fine." Regina whispered her response, feeling more comfortable without Emma there. She continued to tremble as they sat in silence for a moment.

"No offense, but you don't look fine." Henry told her with a frown, he didn't want her to be sad. "You look scared, did you have a nightmare?" Henry questioned, when he had a nightmare he would tell Emma about it and it didn't seem so scary anymore.

"Something like that, yes." Regina responded, her trembling disappearing slightly.

Henry was about to reply but Emma returned to the room with a wet washcloth in one hand. "Okay this is for your head." Emma told Regina with a small sympathetic smile. Emma took a step forward to put the cloth on Regina's forehead but the brunette flinched away.

Emma turned to Henry with a look of disappointment on her face. She handed the washcloth to Henry. "Why don't you try okay? I'm going to head back to bed. After you're done you're going to bed too. We need to let Regina rest." Emma told him before turning back to Regina. "If you need anything just come get one of us." She told the trembling woman before heading out the door.

"What is it for?" Regina asked as she tilted her head to one side in confusion. She had seen a wash cloth before but wasn't sure why she needed one now.

"It helps cool you off." Henry explained. He handed the washcloth to Regina. "Here, put it on your forehead." He instructed her.

The woman did as told and immediately felt cooler.

"Alright, well I have to go back to bed. Bye!" Henry said as he ran out the door.

"Henry?" Regina's voice stopped him. He walked back into the room with a smile on his face.

Regina watched him for a long moment before responding. "Goodnight." She told the young boy with a smile, one he gladly returned.

"Goodnight!" He happily said before turning to leave.  
_

About an hour after Henry went back to back something woke him from his sleep. Henry listened carefully to the mysterious sounds coming from the guest bedroom. He got up to investigate and soon found the sounds to be Regina sniffling from her bed. Henry slowly opened the door.

"Henry? I thought you were supposed to go back to bed?" Regina questioned, concern painted on her face. She was quick to wipe her tears away, and had Henry not already have seen them, he wouldn't have known.

"I was, but I heard you." He told her as he sat on the edge of her bed, a foot away from her. It threw her off a little to have someone this close to her but she quickly adjusted to it.

"Sorry, I'm fine dear. You can go back to bed." She told him with a fake smile he saw right through.

Henry smirked at her before promptly crawling into bed next to her, causing her to raise her eyebrows.

"What are you doing?" She questioned with a slight smile, a real one this time.

"Going back to bed, just like you said." His smirk caused Regina to softly laugh.

"I meant in your bed. Seriously, I'm fine Henry; you don't need to stay here." A small smile stayed on her lips as she said this.

Henry took a long look at her. "Do you want to talk about your nightmare?" Henry questioned.

"Nope." Regina told him with a smile, she got the feeling she knew what he was doing.

"Okay then, do you want to hear a story?" Henry asked with a smirk as he moved closer to her.

"Nope. Well, maybe later, but right now you need to go to bed." Regina told hi firmly, her motherly instinct kicking in.

"Perfect, night!" Henry shouted before closing his eyes. Henry opened one eye to find Regina staring at him with an amused smirk.

"Why do you want to sleep in here?" Regina softly asked in a more serious tone. Watching him sit up, she smiled.

He waited a long time before finally answering her in a hushed voice. "I had a nightmare too."

"Do you want to talk about your nightmare?" Regina asked him, quoting his words from earlier.

Henry smirked at her once again before responding. "Nope." He told her with a wide grin on his face.

Regina laughed as he mocked her. "You can stay here tonight." She told him with a sigh.

"Yay!" He shouted out as he raised his arms in victory. Regina took the opportunity to tickle him underneath his arms as he did. Their laughter filled the air in harmony.

Emma quietly laughed from her hidden place outside the door.

 _My Regina is still there._ She thought to herself with a bright smile.

A/N: Loved to hear everyone's thoughts last chapter! Hope to hear your thoughts again! Also tell me if there is anything you want to see more/less of.


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